RHA welcomes speed limit consultation

• Scottish Government launches consultation on National Speed Management Review
• Feedback will be invited on increasing HGV speed limit on single carriageway roads from 40mph to 50mph
• RHA has been campaigning for 50mph limit

The RHA has today (Wednesday 27 November) welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement that there will be a consultation on the National Speed Management Review.

Part of the consultation invites feedback on whether the current 40mph speed limit for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) on Scottish single-carriageway roads should be increased to 50mph, as it is throughout the rest of Britain.

The RHA has campaigned for this change for many years, most recently during this month’s National Lorry Week, when it highlighted the success of the ongoing 50mph trial on the A9, together with the evidence of benefits in England and Wales, which moved to a 50mph limit in 2015.

The RHA believes there would be three main benefits of a 50mph limit for HGVs in Scotland: a reduction in risky overtaking by other drivers, reduced emissions as a result of more efficient fuel consumption, and economic benefits derived from faster journeys (see notes to editors for more information).

Martin Reid, RHA Policy Director for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said:

“The Scottish Government should be commended for consulting on the change to HGV speed limits. The 50mph trial on the A9 has resulted in a reduction in risky overtaking with a resultant improvement in safety, backed up by a decade of data from roads in England and Wales.

“The extension of a 50mph limit across all Scottish single-carriageway A-roads should be expected to yield similar results.“We also know that lorries use less fuel and create fewer emissions when they can drive at 50mph, and shorter journeys create savings which can be passed on to customers.

“Having HGVs driving at up to 50mph would be a positive step, and we welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to this consultation."

Road Safety Manager at IAM Roadsmart Stewart Mackie said:

"As an organisation that champions safer roads in the UK, IAM Roadsmart believes that government policy should reflect the evidence. The report on England and Wales' move to allow Heavy Goods Vehicles to drive at up to 50 miles per hour on "A" roads concludes that the change from 40mph has not had a detrimental impact on safety along single carriageway roads. Analysis of the three year trial done on the A9 suggests that the move to a 50mph limit for Heavy Goods Vehicles on single carriageway stretches has actually reduced collisions, fatalities and casualties from incidents involving HGVs."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

More detail on safety, environmental and economic case for increasing the limit to 50mph:

• Safety

A 2018 report* commissioned by Transport Scotland compared two three-year periods, from 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2013 (prior to average speed cameras being put in on single lane stretches of the A9 and the HGV speed limit being raised to 50mph) and from 1st November 2014 to 31st October 2017 (when both were operating). It found:

The number of ‘fatal and serious’ collisions between Perth and Inverness is down by 10%, with ‘fatal and serious’ casualties reduced by over 32%, compared to the baseline; and the number of fatal collisions between Perth and Inverness fell by 20% with fatal casualties down by over 40%.

The Transport Scotland report also notes:

Several hauliers noted that they had received fewer complaints from the driving public in recent years on the A9 due to their vehicles being able to drive at a slightly higher speed. They perceived that they were less involved in leading slow platoons (of cars) which can lead to complaints (and at times aggressive behaviour) from the public.

The 2020 final report** commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT) following the HGV speed limit on England and Wales’ “A” roads being changed from 40mph to 50mph compared ten years of data prior to the change and 33 months of data following it. The report concluded:

Statistical models point to no evidence of a change in collisions involving HGVs

Further, if the change were to be made in Scotland, it would have the benefit of creating less confusion for HGV drivers crossing the border with England, as well as for the drivers of other vehicles following those HGVs.

• Emissions

Evidence from RHA members suggests that engines work more efficiently at 50mph than at 40mph and therefore a change to 50mph should lead to an emissions reduction. The Transport Scotland report* acknowledged this possibility:

It is possible that the enhanced efficiency of flow and more consistent average speeds for HGV drivers has led to fuel efficiency which has environmental benefits in terms of fuel used. This is purely anecdotal however and no quantitative data on fuel efficiency has been available in this study.

• Economy

The Transport Scotland report* looked into this aspect by consulting with hauliers after the new 50mph limit for Heavy Goods Vehicles came into effect on the A9. It found:

Whilst all hauliers spoken to stated that they perceived it likely they had saved time on their end-to-end journey on the A9 Perth to Inverness, the scale of this journey time saving varied in terms of estimates – from 10 minutes to half an hour. One haulier was confident they had been able to build more deliveries into their day through time savings on this route.

The Department for Transport report** concluded that the change in speed limit on single carriageway roads in England and Wales will produce benefits of £226M because of journey time savings and lower vehicle operating costs in the period to 2031.

Following the two reports detailed above, Transport Scotland announced that it would look at changing speed limits for Heavy Goods Vehicles as part of its National Speed Management Review, which was conducted in 2021 and 2022, and was to be followed by a consultation with stakeholders and the public; this is what has been announced today.

*The analysis of the efficacy of the 50mph limit for HGVs on the A9 commissioned by Transport Scotland and published in June 2018 can be found here.

**The increase in speed limit for heavy goods vehicles in England and Wales from 40mph to 50mph on “A” roads happened in 2015. The final report into the effects of the change was published in 2020 and can be found here.